Quantitative analysis of heat-source estimation of high-intensity focused ultrasound using thermal strain imaging

For the clinical application of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), improvement in monitoring and guidance methods is necessary to enhance the treatment accuracy. Among the ultrasonic imaging techniques, thermal strain imaging has a potential to estimate temperature change based on the linear relationship between the thermally induced strain and temperature change via a tissue-dependent coefficient. In this study, the coefficient was experimentally measured and the temperature rise induced by the HIFU irradiation was estimated based on the measured coefficient in a tissue mimicking material phantom. The temperature rise estimated using the measured coefficient and that simulated based on a bioheat transfer equation showed a good agreement when the spatial averaged effect in the elevational direction was considered. The exponential decay time constants also agreed well within the range of measurement.